Roll stabilizer for taking up play in bearings of roll mills



March 16, 1948. w g HER' 2,437,733 ROLL; STABILIZER FOR TAKING UP PLAY IN BEARINGS OF ROLL MILLS Filed Feb. 7, 1944 v IINVENIOR: l3 Wa/fer fine/2e,-

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?atented Mar. 16, i 948 ROLL STABILIZER FOR TAKING UP PLAY KN BEARINGS OF ROLL MILLS Walter Fincher, Salina, Kans.

Application February 7, 1944, Serial No. 521,361

7 Claims.

This invention relates to roller mills such as used in processing wheat or similar cereals preparatory to extraction of the flour content of the Wheat berries from the other parts thereof.

It is well known that to obtain maximum recovery of flour, the rolls must be properly adjusted and exert a constantly uniform action on the grain berries throughout the length of the rolls, otherwise, the grain berries are improperly opened and it is difi'icult to extract the flour from the branny husks, or the branny particles are broken and separated to cause contamination of the flour.

I have found that irregular grinding action results through play in the bearings of the roller mill, which play is required for necessary expansion and contraction between rolls shafts and the bearings. I have also found that the yieldable mounting of one of the rolls of a pair or rolls aggravates the ill effects caused by play in the bearings, thus the rolls have a substantially constant movement to and from each other which results in imperfect and inefficient milling operations.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide means for automatically taking up play in the bearings and for stabilizing action of the rolls to obtain optimum milling conditions and a more perfect flour product. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a stabilizing means which does not interfere with movement of the yieldable roll away from the fixed roll when such movement is necessary. A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive stabilizer which may be installed on existing roller mills.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is an end view of a roller mill equipped with stabilizers constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the mill and stabilizers thereon.

I Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the stabilizers.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the stabilizer at one end of the mill on theline ii- 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

l designates a conventional roller mill such as used in processing wheat and similar grain preparatory to extraction of the flour content. The

2 mill includes a housing 2 which in the present instance contains a double pair of rolls 34 and 55. The rolls of each pair are horizontally supported within the housing by shafts I and 8 having their ends J'ournaled in bearings 9lll and ll-l2 so that rollers operate in the same direction and at differential speeds to break open the husks and release the endosperm or flourforming particles without reducing the branny husks. The fast rolls 4 and 6 have their sup porting bearings positioned in fixed relation with the housing 2 so as to maintain rotation of the rolls about a relatively fixed axis. The slow rollers 3 and 5 have their supporting bearings car- .ried in crank-like arms l3 pivotally mounted on eccentrics I4 whereby the arms may be adjusted to tram the rolls and maintain grinding contact at one point only on their circumferences and to provide for uniform action across the length of the rolls. The arms supporting the movable rolls are yieldably retained in position to maintain a predetermined minimum spacing of the rolls for obtaining the desired degree of break of the grain berries. to yield under action of springs 15 which form a part of the roll adjusting mechanism generally designated l6.

The bearings which support the roll shafts are closely fit in order to maintain the desired relationship of the rollers, however, some play is essential to accommodate expansion and contraction of the parts when the mill is in operation. Wear on the shafts and bearings gradually increase the play, and it is obvious that it is difficult to maintain the predetermined fixed relationship between the rolls which is necessary for effecting a uniform grinding action in obtaining optimum milling conditions and maximum recovery of the flour content of the grain berries without contamination by the branny particles.

In order to overcome this dificulty, I provide each pair of rolls with stabilizers l1 and I8, one located at each end of the rolls, preferably between the bearings and the pulleys H! which drive the rolls. pair of arms 20 and 2| carried by hubs 22 and 23 having bores 24 and 25 of suitable size to mount on the roll shafts as illustrated in Fig. 2. The bores of the hubs may have suitable play, as play does not interfere with operation of the stabilizers.

In the illustrated instant, the arms are arranged substantially tangential with the hubs and have depending portions 25 and 27 which are of shorter length than the upwardly extending por- The arms, however, are adapted.

Each stabilizer I1 and [8 includes a tions 28 and 29 thereof. when the arms are mounted on the shafts they are located in substantially parallel registry. The depending portions 26 and 21 are spaced apart by a lug or spacer 30, for example, fixed to the portion 21 and having bearing contact with the portion 26 of the other arm. In order to promote a fulcruming action between the arms, the lug 30 is rounded, as at 3! to contact with the flat face of the depending portion 26 at a point intermediate the length thereof. The depending portion 26 is yieldingly retained in contact with the lug by means of a rod 32 extending through registering openings 33 and 34 in the depending arm portions and having a head 35 engaging the outer face of the depending portion 26. The opposite end of the rod projects through the depending portion 21 and carries a coil spring 36 having one end bearing against the outer face of the arm portion 21 and the opposite end against a'washer 31 mounted on the rod and retained in position by a nut 38 threaded on the rod as best shown in Fig. 3. It is thus obvious that when the nut 38 is tightened the spring 36 is tensioned to retain the arm portion 26 in contact with the lug. The upper end of one of the arms, for example, the arm portion 29, has a threaded opening 39 therein threadingly retaining the shank 40 of a thumb screw, 4|, the terminal end of whichis adapted to bear upon the inner face of the upper portion 28 of the arm 20 so as to spread the arms apart while the lower portion pivots on the fulcrum 3|. It is thus obvious that when the screw is tightened the bearing surfaces of the bores 24 and 25 on the arm sides of the hubs contact the contacting surfaces of the shafts, as shown in Fig. 4, to exert a shifting pressure on the shafts that retain the shafts against the outer sides of their bearings. In this manner, objectionable play and the play necessary to compensate for expansion and contraction of the shafts and bearings is compensated for since the stabilizers prevent inward movement of the shafts toward each other.

The movable rolls, however, are adapted to swing out of position relative to the fixed rolls when necessary to pass solid foreign objects that may be contained in the wheat stream. This is accomplished since the springs 36 yield to allow the arms 20 to move away from pivotal contact with the fulcrums 3|, but immediately upon passage of the object that spreads the rolls. the movable roller returns to its position relative to the fixed roll.

It is obvious that a mill equipped with stabilizers and constructed in accordance with the present invention have the rollers thereof retained in fixed relationship to eifect uniform breaking action of the wheat berries. Thus,

' when the rolls are adjusted for a given break the stabilizers come into play and prevent disarrangement of the adjusted spacing that has been previously caused through the play between the bearings and the roller shafts'supported therein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 7 v

1. In a mill of the character described having a pair of cooperating rolls, shafts for said rolls, bearings supporting the shafts, said shafts having play in the bearings to compensate for expansion and contraction and provide for substantially free rotation of the shafts in said bearings, a pair of arms having support on the shafts and separate from th bearings, a fulcrum supported on one of the arms and having contact with the other of the arms, and means for spreading said arms apart on said fulcrum to selectively position the shafts in said bearings.

2. In a mill of the character described having a pair of cooperating rolls, shafts for said rolls, bearings supporting the shafts, said shafts having play in the bearings to, compensate for expansion and contraction and provide for substantially free'rotation of the shafts in said bearings, a pair of arms having support on the shafts, a fulcrum supported on one of the arms and having contact with the other of the arms, yielding means retaining other said arm in contact with the fulcrum, and means for pivoting said arms on the fulcrum to selectively position said shafts in the bearings.

3. In a mill of the character described having a pair of cooperating rolls, shafts for said rolls, bearings supporting the shafts, said shafts havin play in the bearings to compensate for expansion and contraction and provide for substantially free rotation of the shafts in said bearings, collars on said shafts, arms on the collars, a fulcrum supported on one of the arms and having contact with the other of the arms, yielding means retaining other said arm in contact with the fulcrum, and a set screw carried by one of the arms .and engaging the other arm to spread said shafts and thereby take up said play of the shafts in the bearings.

4. In a mill of the character described having a pair of cooperating rolls, shaftsrfor said rolls,

. bearings supporting the shafts, said shafts having play in the bearings to provide free rotation of the shafts in said bearings, collars loose on the ends of the shafts, arms carried by the collars, a fulcrum on one of the arms having contact with the other of the arms at one side of the shafts, a rod connected with one of the arms and projecting through the other arm, a spring on the projecting end of the rod, means tensioning the spring to retain said other arm in contact with the fulcrum, a set screw carried by one of the arms at the opposite side of the shafts and having engagement with the other arm for positioning the shafts in said bearings.

5. In a mill of the character described having a pair of cooperating rolls, shafts for said rolls, bearings supporting the shafts, said shafts having play in the bearings to provide free rotation of the shafts in said bearings, collars loose on the ends of the shafts, arms carried by the collars, a fulcrum on one of the arms having contact with the other of the armsat one side of the shafts, a rod connected with one of the arms and projecting through the other arm, a spring on the projecting end of the rod, means tensioning the spring to retain said other arm in contact with the fulcrum, and means for moving the arms on the fulcrum for positioning the shafts in said bearings.

6. A stabilizer of the character described including spaced arms, shaft engaging means on the arms, a fulcrum on one of the arms and having rocking contact with the other arm, yieldable means for normally retaining said other arm in rocking contact with the fulcrum, and adjusting means on one of the arms and engaging the other arm to pivot said other arm on the fulcrum to adjustably space a pair of shafts on which the stabilizer may be mounted.

7. A shaft stabilizer of the character described including spaced arms, means on the arms having shaft engaging portions, a fulcrum on one of the 5 arms and having contact with the other arm, yieldable means for normally retaining said other arm in contact with the fulcrum, and a set screw threaded in one of the arms and engaging the other arm for pivoting said other arm on the fulcrum to adjustably space a pair of shafts on which the stabilizer may be mounted.

WALTER FINCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Nagel Nov. 11, 1879 Nutt Oct. 24, 1905 Morgan Feb. 5, 1924 Becker Apr. 6, 1926 Frerotte Sept. 27, 1938 Tunley Oct. 15, 1940 

